Sidewalk sweepers and factory floor sweepers of various types are used to sweep debris in many different types of locations. Sidewalk sweepers are typically used to sweep sidewalks, parking lots, and so on. In use, they must sweep along curbs and the sides of buildings in order to sweep dust, dirt and debris that is adjacent to the curbs and buildings. Factory floor sweepers are typically used to sweep aisle ways in factories and warehouses, and the like.
In use, as a sidewalk sweeper or factory floor sweeper moves forwardly, dust and small debris are initially passed over by the front of the pick-up head and are suctioned into the pick-up head through its bottom opening. The bottom edge of the pick-up head at the front of the housing is only a very small distance above the surface being cleaned, perhaps one-eighth of an inch. Accordingly, only dust and very small debris can pass under it during use. This small distance between bottom edge of the pick-up head at the front of the housing and the surface being cleaned must be kept minimized in order to maintain the minimum suctioning that is necessary to suction the dust and small debris off the surface being cleaned.
Larger debris is plowed by the front of the pick-up head and must get separately suctioned up typically by a manually manipulated vacuum wand connected to the same source of vacuum on the sidewalk sweeper or factory floor sweeper that suctions air through the pick-up head. This is undesirable for a number of reasons. Accordingly, in some pick-up heads, there is a front opening that permits debris to egress into the pick-up head. A door mounted on the pick-up head at the front opening closes off air flow into the pick-up head; however, when the door opens to permit debris to egress into the pick-up head, there is a significant amount of air suctioning through the front opening. This is especially true since the debris outlet that introduces the air suctioning into the pick-up head is often located near the front opening, and often immediately behind the front opening. As a result of having a significant amount of air suctioned through the front opening, the full suctioning of the airflow that picks up the dust and small debris off the surface being cleaned is greatly reduced, thus leaving some dust and small debris on the surface being cleaned, which is unacceptable.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pick-up head for use with a sidewalk sweeper or a factory floor sweeper.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pick-up head for use with a sidewalk sweeper or a factory floor sweeper, wherein the full suctioning of the airflow that picks up the dust and small debris off the surface being cleaned remains when larger debris enters the pick-up head.